


hide under the blankets

by Nicoforlife



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27916036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicoforlife/pseuds/Nicoforlife
Summary: reasons why
Comments: 8
Kudos: 109





	hide under the blankets

**Author's Note:**

> i made this before the first festaval and i think yall can tell

Techno grew up with Wilbur.

He was Wilbur’s older brother, his go-to when something was wrong. And there was  _ always _ something wrong with Wilbur.

Even when they were kids, it was scary when the burning fuse of Wilbur’s temper reached the powder keg of mania in his mind.

When that happened...  _ he got destructive _ .

When he had first become Techno’s brother, his fuse was much shorter, much quicker to be used up. He broke things, he laughed for no reason, his words mumbled when he wasn't screaming things he didn’t mean. But there was always a trick that worked at calming him down enough where he could be reasoned with.

It was such a silly trick too.

Wilbur had to hide from the monsters in his mind; like any child would from the ones in their closet. When he was younger, Techno would always use a blanket - toss it over Wilbur's head, cover his ears, and suddenly the manic melted into whatever Wilbur’s mind had been hiding.

It never really stopped working.

Sure, now he had to be more forceful with his grip on the other’s head, and looking him in the eyes was added to the recipe, but it worked.

It's why Techno always had a cloak and Phil had his robe. A ‘just in case’ for when Wilbur’s fuse (that had long grown from their childhood) would meet madness.

Tommy had never seen Wilbur have an attack.

They were so rare with Wilbur being an adult and Phil and Techno were quick to drag him out of the self destructive storm.

Techno should have seen this coming really.

He should have noticed the signs of that fuse growing short, he should have noticed that old manic suddenly surging forward.  _ But he didn’t _ . And people had paid.

There was Wilbur - older now and far more destructive than when they were kids - standing before the rubble of his handiwork, an all too pleased smile on his face.

“Are you proud Techno?! Are you proud of me?! Isn't this what you came here for? Blood shed?!”

It made sense that what he destroyed would grow with him when he had an attack.

It was almost ironic really. Wilbur was so in tune with his family's own emotional turmoil and yet was blind to his own, still not recognizing his own spirals even afterward, unable to tell he had been acting so  _ differently _ .

Techno didn't say anything as he took steps toward his younger brother. His calm eyes locking with Wilbur’s paranoid ones.

“Is this what you  _ wanted _ ? Finally going to  _ betray  _ me? Say  _ something _ !”

Wilbur was stumbling back now, away from Techno approaching him. His words half formed and mumbled under his breath after his shouting laughter bubbling in his throat as he stared down Techno. 

Techno unclipped the chain that was keeping his cloak on. Gripping the long blanket-like fabric as he stepped closer enough to the rabid male. Then, when he was close enough, swung the cloth off himself and around his brother in one smooth movement.

“What-”

He flipped the hood up and covered his brother’s ears, blocking out the noisy world from an equally noisy mind. Holding his head in firm but gentle hold; eyes not breaking away from the other’s. At first, Wilbur’s hands scrambled, trying to rip away from Techno’s touch. Nonsensical, half formed protests spilling from his lips. And- and then his subconscious caught up. Techno watched as the mania drained away from Wilbur’s eyes, some part of the other’s forever damaged mind recognizing the actions as a sign of safety. His posture relaxed, madness shifting to child-like fear as his eyes watered with unshed. His hands stopped scrambling at Techno’s. Instead they were gripping at the cloak, knuckles turning white and pulling the fabric closer.

“You’re safe.”

With those soft words, Techno calmly led his sibling down where they both kneeled in the dirt. Letting Wilbur set the slow pace of the descent. 

“I'm scared...”

Wilbur's voice was a whimper. Desperate eyes searching Techno’s, begging him to help like he always had. For a moment, he didn't see Wilbur as he was now: dust on his hands, clothes battered and torn. Instead, he saw Wilbur when he was smaller: face still clinging to baby fat, hiding under his favorite blanket, scared and hurting.

“I can be brave enough for both of us,” Techno reassured.

Wilbur stared at him. In any other state he would have argued. Should he be sane he would have scoffed, saying he was brave enough for himself; should he be manic he would scream that Techno would betray him, and what would he be left with then. But here, hiding away in Techno’s cloak, hands grasping it like if he let go he would fall into the void, sound muffled by his brother's hands, and eyes full of tears. He was  _ vulnerable _ .

It was the only time he could be.

“Promise?” he asked in a whisper.

“I swear.”

He watched as Wilbur broke eye contact and leaned forward and planted his head in his brother's chest. Wilbur’s shoulders started to heave as soft sobs rang out from the younger. Techno, with as much gentleness as his body contained, removed his hands from the other’s ears to wrap them around the shivering form and held him as close as he could to mimic hiding him from the world.

It took only a few minutes for Wilbur to fall asleep, letting Techno bundle him up in the cloak and pick him up. Turning and walking away from what was once Manburg.

“Techno? What- what happened?” 

The voice caused him to startle before checking to make sure Wilbur was still asleep. Seeing the other breathing slowly still, he turned and was met with the familiar face of the youngest brother, Tommy.

“Is uh- is Wilbur safe now?” 

That broke Techno’s heart. He had, just like their dad, hoped Wilbur wouldn't ever have another one of these violent outbursts. And that if he did Tommy wouldn't have to see it, yet Tommy had most likely received the full force of this one.

If only he had noticed it coming sooner.

“Kind of. He's going to need a bit of time before he's back to himself, but he's back to as harmless as he gets.”

Tommy inched forward, eyeing the bundle of fabric that was the middle sibling. 

“How'd you calm him down? I thought he was going to attack you when you touched him…”

Techno sighed, starting to walk as Tommy fell clumsily into step with him.

“He got like this a lot when we were little- you would have been a toddler at the time if you lived with us.”

Tommy tilted his head at the idea of Wilbur getting like, whatever  _ that _ was, often.

“Yeah, Phil thinks it’s because of his Before.”

Their ‘Before’ is what they called everything before Phil took them in. It was too little time to be a past and it was easier to talk about if it was given such a vague form considering none of them were keen on talking about what brought them under Phil’s care. It worked. All they knew is that each of their Before had hurt them, badly.

Tommy frowned, nose scrunching up.

“And I was never told Wilbur could go crazy at any moment  _ because _ ?”

Techno glared at the youngest when he said that.

“Don't call it that Tommy, and not at any moment either, there's a definite build up, just didn't catch it this time I guess...”

Tommy glared back - defiant little fucker.

“What else do I call it huh?! And it seemed pretty spontaneous to me!”

Techno was about to counter the argument when he heard a whimper from the bundle he was holding. Wilbur, ever the fitful sleeper, had covered his own ears. Likely in self comfort. Techno could only guess it was because of the yelling.

“Me and Phil call them attacks,” he grumbled instead, keeping his eyes off Tommy as to not start the argument all over again, “We didn't tell you about them because of how rare they are now, this is the first one in years. My best guess about why he snapped is stress mixed with the emotional mess the war gave you. Seeing people he thought cared so much about him turn on him and this being the first one in ages. He's a slow, long burning fuse Tommy, but even then there's still a bomb on the other end.”

It was silent for a few moments as they walked, Techno thinking Tommy was just processing before the other spoke.

“He said something like that a week ago or so.” 

That caught Techno’s attention; he hummed, showing he was listening.

“Said something about his fuse and how, in a week, he wouldn't be the same man Schlatte had crossed.”

Techno sighed at that.

“So he saw it coming, kind of.”

“Techno... Wilbur’s a good person. Right?”

There was a shake in Tommy's words that took the eldest by surprise, causing him to glance down at his other brother.

“And he doesn't lie right? Even if he's not... himself?”

“Oh no, he lies a lot when he's having an attack. It’s to the point where he almost talks in the opposite.” 

He couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Wilbur being completely truthful during an attack.

“Oh, ok.”

Tommy seemed to perk up with that information. Techno raised an eyebrow at it but let it go. Wilbur could make up for it when he was back to himself in a few days, and from what he saw there was going to be a  _ lot _ of making up.

But until then, he could hide under Techno’s cloak like it was a blanket as his mind stitched itself back together.


End file.
